Speakers Profile Decarbonizing the Steel IndustryGlobal Approaches and Japan’s Challenges

in Japanese

Back to program page

• 

  Wido Witecka
  Steel Decarbonization Consultant

  Wido Witecka works as an independent consultant specializing in steel decarbonization. His area of expertise includes decarbonization technologies, policy frameworks, as well as decarbonization roadmaps for the transition to climate-neutral steel.
  Before working as a consultant, he was with the Berlin-based think tank Agora Industry for six years, where he worked on the decarbonization of heavy industry with a focus on the steel industry. He is the lead author of several influential reports such as "15 insights on the global steel transformation" (2023) and "Breakthrough Strategies for Climate-Neutral Industry in Europe" (2020).

• 

  Ysanne Choksey
  Global Lead Steel Transition, Agora Industry

  Ysanne Choksey is Project Lead Global Steel Transition at Agora Industry. Her work focuses on industrial decarbonization – especially through green iron trade and next generation steel and iron making – and on providing governments with the technical and strategic expertise to realize the economy-wide changes related to the transition.
  Before joining Agora, Ysanne worked at the climate policy thinktank E3G as a policy advisor working on steel decarbonization in Europe and Germany. Before that, she worked on power sector decarbonization and removing private finance from new coal projects globally.

• 

  Amy Jackson
  Director of Programmes, ResponsibleSteel

  Amy has focused on advancing sustainability in business for over 20 years. She has played a pivotal role in strengthening global sustainability standards, from expanding the reach and credibility of the Marine Stewardship Council to leading key consultations at ISEAL that resulted in widely recognised best-practice frameworks, including the Credibility Principles, Chain of Custody Guidance, and Claims Good Practice Guide.  
  Her expertise spans multiple sectors, including ethical trade, agriculture, and sustainable cotton, where she has helped drive high-impact and rapidly growing initiatives. Most recently, she led teams at Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), fostering stronger signatory engagement and deepening commitment to responsible investment.
  Amy holds a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge, where she focused on how the responsible investment sector could better utilise sustainability standards.
  At ResponsibleSteel, Amy leads efforts in standards development, assurance, chain of custody, claims, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning programs—ensuring robust, credible, and high-impact solutions for a more sustainable steel industry.

• 

  Sameen Khan
  Senior Manager, Steel, Climate Group

  Sameen Khan is Senior Manager, Steel at Climate Group leading the global SteelZero initiative that brings together leading organizations sending a clear market signal to speed up the transition to a net zero steel industry. In this role, she supports global steel buying businesses to make net zero steel procurement decisions through an ambitious SteelZero commitment, contributes to the development net zero steel standards, and is involved in working groups and forums with a global network of international and multi-lateral organizations, think tanks, NGOs and governments working collectively towards decarbonising the steel industry. 
  Previously, Sameen managed multi-million funding schemes to support the roll-out of energy efficiency and heat decarbonization projects across the UK public sector buildings.

• 

  Kenichi Ishida
  Senior Advisor, Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP)

  Doctor of Engineering and licensed first-class architect. 
  He joined Sekisui House in 1985. In 1999, he proposed the “Environmental Future Plan,” followed by the “2050 Carbon Neutral Declaration” in 2008. To realize these visions, he led the development of the “Green First Model” in 2009, which aimed to reduce CO₂ emissions by over 50% compared to 1990 levels, and the “Green First Zero” net-zero energy house in 2013, achieving industry-leading ZEH adoption. Since retiring in 2021, he has been actively contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society as an advisor to multiple organizations.

• 

  Sergio Shigeo Kato
  Co-Representative, Japan Climate Initiative (JCI)

  After assuming several senior executive positions in Europe and Japan at Ricoh, Sergio Shigeo Kato was appointed General Manager of the Sustainability Management Division in 2015, where he was responsible for developing Ricoh Group‘s decarbonization declaration, driving Ricoh to become the first company in Japan to join RE100, and integrate SDGs values into business, leading the company to adopt ESG-oriented management. Since then, he has collaborated with companies across industries in Japan to resolve social issues related to climate change. He held roles as Co-Chair of the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP), Board Member of the World Environment Center (WEC) and Board Member of Global Compact Network Japan (GCNJ). He also served as member of the Advisory Panel of Experts on Climate Change established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and contributed in the launch of the Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) in July 2018.

• 

  Yuko Nishida
  Senior Manager, Climate Change, Renewable Energy Institute

  Yuko Nishida joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2017. Her role is to develop medium to long-term climate strategies and promote decarbonization and energy transition in the building and heavy industry sector, including the steel industry.
  Prior to this, she worked at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, where she was responsible for policy development on climate change, sustainable architecture and urban planning. She has also been active in advancing global urban climate action through her work with C40, the international network of major cities.
  She holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Economics from Waseda University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.

• 

  Erik Goto
  Researcher, Renewable Energy Institute

  Erik Goto joined Renewable Energy Institute in 2024, with a strong interest in climate change policy and governance, particularly in Japan and the EU. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge and completed a dual Master’s degree program at Sciences Po Paris and the University of Tokyo, specializing in public policy with a focus on energy and environmental policies. His research had centered on Japan's environmental policy-making processes, governance, and stakeholder engagement.
  At Renewable Energy Institute, he is responsible for research and studies related to the decarbonization of industry.

Back to program page